April Johnson + the Art of the Quick Pivot
In the world of entrepreneurship, timing is everything. Sometimes, what seems like the worst possible timing can be turned into a happy outcome. Just ask April Johnson, the founder of Happied.
Johnson’s virtual events company, Happied, was born from a passion for hospitality and fostering real human connection. Her launch (and her “relaunch” in 2020) became a shining example of how adversity can be the launchpad for innovation and success.
April Johnson, courtesy of The Org
From Hospitality to Tech: The Birth + Rebirth of an Idea
Before launching Happied, April Johnson was a corporate attorney with a passion for hospitality and community.
In 2017, she founded Happied as a platform to connect professionals to the vibrant local bar and restaurant scene in Washington, D.C. The idea was simple and special. She wanted to help people discover unique venues and experiences, all while supporting local D.C.-area businesses.
Everything was going great until March 2020 rolled around.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the hospitality industry came to a screeching halt. Bars and restaurants closed overnight.
Social gatherings vanished and were replaced by frantic calls for toilet paper and disinfectant.
Overnight, too, Happied’s entire business model was in jeopardy. For many founders, this would’ve been the call to wrap it up. Surely it was time for April Johnson to call it quits on Happied and return to the world of corporate law.
Not.
The Pivot: Virtual Happy Hours, Real Connection
Rather than wait out the storm or reverse back into a career in law, April made the quick pivot that would change her business going forward.
She transformed Happied from a nightlife-focused app into a virtual event company. Her new mission-centered in helping companies create engaging, inclusive experiences for remote teams. This included interactive virtual events, cocktail classes, cooking demonstrations, and mixology kits shipped directly to employees' doors.
What started as a survival strategy quickly became a thriving business model.
Corporate clients, eager to boost morale during lockdowns, turned to Happied to bring fun and connection back into the workplace. As remote work proved to be more than a passing phase, demand continued to grow. Happied was a pandemic hit.
Scaling Success with Speed and Smarts
Happied’s quick pivot paid off.
The company soon expanded its offerings beyond happy hours to include diverse experiences like wine tastings, wellness sessions, and cooking workshops. But that’s not all.
After all, Happied’s original mission was to create authentic connection rooted in community and culture. April Johnson never let this mission fall to the wayside, and it remains the heartbeat of Happied.
What made the transition even more remarkable was how fast it happened. April leveraged her legal and operational background to build new partnerships, develop logistics, and scale the business. This all happened in the matter of weeks.
What could’ve been a death knell became a defining moment for Happied. April didn’t just change Happied’s product; she redefined its purpose.
Lessons in Resilience and Innovation
April Johnson’s journey with Happied highlights a critical lesson for any entrepreneur or business leader. It’s the lesson many successful entrepreneurs learned during 2020 and beyond.
Don’t fear the pivot. Take control of it and master it.
The ability to adapt quickly, stay true to your mission, and listen to your market can be the difference between failure and exponential success.
In April’s case, the pivot wasn’t just about changing direction. It was about creating new opportunities from the crisis. Instead of hanging it up, Johnson found a way to serve her community’s new needs without abandoning the heart.
Why We Love Happied
Truth be told, we don’t love looking back at the beginnings of 2020. It was a scary time filled with an uncertainty many of us had never encountered before. Remember how we were literally spraying our groceries with Lysol and leaving our Amazon packages on the front porch for 48-hours before bringing them into our houses?!
However, we do love to see stories like April Johnson’s. Not only does it inspire, but it’s a great reminder that the toughest chapters in entrepreneurship and business can actually be the space to learn the greatest and most impactful lessons.
Today, Happied is a leader in the virtual events space. They create stress-free, exceptional team events for clients ranging from small startups to Fortune 500 companies.
It all started with a founder who wasn’t afraid to pull the Hail Mary quick pivot in the face of uncertainty.
